THE BUZZ: One year ago today, the 3DS was released in North America. To celebrate, a certain familiar Nintendo face is showing up on 3DSs everywhere.

EGM’s TAKE: Having only gotten my 3DS exactly two weeks ago, I’m still very new to the platform. However, for those of you who got your North American 3DS day one, the system is now officially one year old.

And oh, what a year it was, filled with drama, heartbreak, excitement, surprises, and everything in between. Who would have guessed that one year later, a system launched for $250 to lackluster praise would become $169 and the hottest new hardware around?

To celebrate the big event, Nintendo’s Reggie Fils-Aime is paying a visit to those 3DS owners who have enabled SpotPass. And this isn’t just any Reggie Mii, it’s the 100% official super collector’s item Reggie Mii—which you can tell by his stylish golden pants.

Oh, one lame thing though: Reggie totally chickened out on filling out his profile. No hobby! No dream! No birthday! And like any good politician or marketing rep, he won’t take a stand on the controversial issues—such as which is better, cats or dogs. I do notice, however, that he has no shame in pimping the latest Nintendo release! Oh, you sneak!

So, how has the first year of the 3DS been? Has your opinion of the system changed in that time? Let us know in the comments below!

Eric L. Patterson got started via self-publishing game-related fanzines in junior high, and now has one goal in life: making sure EGM has as much coverage of niche Japanese games as can realistically be crammed in. Eric’s also active in the gaming community on a personal level, being an outspoken voice on topics such as equality in gaming and consumer rights. Stalk Eric on Twitter: @Eric_EGM. Meet the rest of the crew.